Continental lift: Rebeca Omordia, ‘African Pianism’; the African Concert Series

This marvellous disc contains multitudes. The variety of sounds and styles packed into its generous 77 minutes showcases not only the infinite intrigue of a music too little-heard until now, but the lightly-worn virtuosity of Omordia herself. (Important note: for the facts/background underpinning this post, I’m indebted to Robert Matthew-Walker’s invaluable booklet notes which, in…

Set free?

A couple of evenings before writing this, I had the privilege of attending the first art song recital with a live audience at London’s Wigmore Hall since it re-opened to socially-distanced audiences in line with the UK’s current ‘roadmap’ for ending lockdown. The concert was an all-Schubert progamme, performed by soprano Carolyn Sampson and pianist…

Soprano Katharina Konradi sings Schubert, Strauss and Mozart

You may be forgiven for not having heard of soprano, Katharina Konradi. Brought up in the mountainous republic of Kyrgyzstan, Konradi left her homeland in Central Asia in her teens, to go and live in Germany. Since then her star has been steadily rising, in Europe mostly. Her successes in singing competitions has earned her…

Wagner Singing Competition at the Wigmore

Climatic scene from Wagner’s Tristan and Isolde 1910 Rogelio de Egusquiz 1979 was my A-level year. Also the year I discovered Richard Wagner. We had one good stereo system in our sitting room which pumped out rock, pop, jazz and classical at all hours, to all corners of our Victorian house in Barnes. One Sunday afternoon, hunched…

Favourite things: Wigmore Hall, London

The first in an occasional series in which ArtMuseLondon reviewers select favourite art works, places, music……. Wigmore Hall, nestling unobtrusively just a stone’s throw from the bustle and litter of Oxford Street in a row of tall Edwardian façades, is London’s pre-eminent venue for chamber music, song recitals and solo piano concerts. It was built…

Variations on a traditional programme – Inon Barnatan at Wigmore Hall

  George Frideric Handel – Chaconne in G major HWV435 Johann Sebastian Bach – Partita No.4 in D major BWV828, II. Allemande Jean-Philippe Rameau – Premier livre de pieces de clavecin, IV. Courante in A minor François Couperin – Second livre de pieces de clavecin, Ordre 12 No. 8 L’Atalante Maurice Ravel – Le tombeau…